«•        -    3 


\ 


* 


« 


-y. 


*" 


/ 


•"  .  / 


IMAGfe  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


lit 

HI 


■  4.0 


Ma 


2.0 


.8 


\M  MIA.  mil  1.6 


.i-. 


^' 


// 


// 


^ 


/. 


jif 


V 


,.v 


> 
.^J^.^ 


^^^ 


:/. 


^ 


«' 


.-^t'iji>, 


PhoiDgraphKf 

^Sdmces 

Camoratpi 


23  WBT  MAIN  STRUT 

WHSTn,N.Y.  14510 

(7l6)t72.49(» 


^ 


x'^'- 


^4" 


CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographs) 


ICMH 

Collection  de 
microf  idhes 
(mohographies) 


y 


\ 

Canadian  Instituta  for  Historical  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductiona  hiatoriqu« 


1  -1* 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographicalty  unique,  which  may  alter  any 
\of  the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
^    significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming,  are 
decked  below. 


L'Instituta  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il 
lui  a  M  possible  da  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet 
exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-4tre  uniques  dif  point  de  vue 
btbliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  line  image 
;,,-^^produite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification 
dans  la  mithode  nomiale  de  f  ilmage  sont  indiqufe 
ci-dessous. 


D 
D 

n 


Cotourra  covers/ 
Couverture  da  couleur 

Covers  dan^ged/ 
Couverture  eWlommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pelliculte 


□  Coloured  pa^as/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□  Pages  damaged/     ' 
Pages  endommagies 

□^Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restauries  et/ou  pelliculAes 


n 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


0 


Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dicolories,  tacheties  ou  piquees 


0 


Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gtegraphiques  en  couleur 


/ 
/ 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  Mack)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


□  Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachtes 

0Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


n 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/         / 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 


□  Quality  of  print  vjpries/ 
Qualite  in^^  de  I'impression 

□  Continuous  pagination/ 
Pagination  continue 


n 


D 


D 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrte  peut  causer  de  I'ombre.ou  de  la 
distorsion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have 
been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouttes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 

pas  M  filmtes.  « 

*  1 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl4mentaires: 


□  Includes  index(es)/ 
£omprend  un  (des)  index 

Title  on  header  taken  from:  / 
Le  titre  de  I'en-tCte  provient: 

□  Title  page  of  issue/ 
Page  de  titre  de  la  livraison 

Caption  of  issue/ 

Titre  de  depart  de  la  livraison 


Masthead/ 

Ginirique  (piriodiques)  de  la  (nrraison 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  cheeked  below/ 
Ca  document  eti^f  ilmA  au  taux  da  reduction  indiqu*  ci 

-^W ; —    ^ 


~w)r 


itx* 


12X- 


* 

•.:,:? 


1«X 


20X 


~~22Jr- 


^Wr 


jnr^ 


] 


24X 


28X 


32  X 


tn.1..     \i    Jiklks.-ii^;,  l\LiMtS^iL^^i.  t 


X 


Th«  copy  film«d  h«i«  hai  b««n  r«produc«d  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroaity  of: 

Library  of  the  National 
Archives  of  Canada 


L'axarnplaira  f ilmi  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
gAnAroait6  da: 

La  biblioth^ue  det  Archives 
hationaies  du  Canada 


irue 


Tha  imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
poasibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with,  tha 
filnting  contract  apacif icationa. 


Original  copiaa  in  printad  papar  eovara  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  from  covar  and  anding^  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion.  or  tha  bacii  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
ottiar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  Impraa- 
aion.  and  andlng  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  impraaaion. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  facj^  microficha 
ahall  contain  tha  symbol  ^*^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  appliaa. 


Las  imagas  iuivantas  ont  it*  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  I'axamplaira  film«,  at  %n 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  cohtrat  da 
filmaga. 

Laa  axamplairoa  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  aat  ImprimAa  aont  filmia  an  commanpant 
par  la  prahiiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAra  patfa  qui  comporta  una  amprainte 
d'Impraasion  ou  d'illustration.  aoit  par  la  sacond 
pif  t.  aolon  la  caa.  Toua  las  autras  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  filmis  an  commanpant  par  ia 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  ampratnta        .. 
d'impraasion  ou  d'illustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  dmni^n  paga  qui  cbmporta  una  talla 
amprainta. 

Un  daa  symbolaa  auivants  apparattra  sur  la 
darniira  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha.  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  — ^  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbols  ^  signifia  "FIN". 


Mapa.  plataa,  charu.  ate.  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
•nfiraly  included  in  ona  axposura  ara  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  loft  hand  comar,  loft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framaa  aa 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrama  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Laa  cartaa.  planchaa.  tablaaux.  ate.  pauvant  *tra 
fiimAa  A  daa  taux  da  reduction  diffArants. 
Lorsqua  la  documant  aat  trop  grand  pour  fttra 
rapra»duit  an  un  aaul  clichA.  il  aat  film*  i  partir 
da  I'angla  aupAriaur  gaucha.  da  gaucha  *  droita. 
at  da  haut  an  baa.  •n  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagaa  n^caaaaira.  Las  diagrammas  auivants 
iliustrant  la  mAthoda. 


n 


32  X 


1 

2 

..  3 

^v. 


{y 


1 


■i^Ai^ 


6 


p    ii 


M 


( 


N     .• 


gasp:^'  oil  beg-io: 


CA^ISr^DA^   E^ST. 


\, 


■,'<j 


-  V 


-■^  ■<■»-. 


Ntm   Uork  : 

C.    8.    WESTCOTT    &    CO..    PRINTERS, 


=iter^U  JOg»  aTBHgy. 


1865. 


/ 


—\- 


hit  liS\J  iJi    •( 


ILi.  r  ,j>:-i>-    1  lulled 


>■  ' 


-7 


lUS' 


U' 


} 


■f* 


JO  900348 


■^"•/ 


.....  t 


GASPE  OIL  REGION, 

CANADA  EAST. 

•-    ■         !■■■.',  '  I. 

/  '  M. : 

Gaspe  is  a  ^eaport  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Gulf  i>f 
St.  Lawrence.  It  has  a  fine  harbor,  open  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year,  and  is  a  free  port  of  entry- for  imports  ^  exports. 

Transportation  wiU  be  entirely   by  ^ater,   and,   conse- 
quently,  very  cheap.    Oil  from  this  place  ca\  be  dehvered 
2  '^ny  of  the  seaports  of  the  world  at  muclJ  less  expense 
than  from  any  other  oil  territory  yet  discovereii  ;  all  the  oil 
producmg  districts  so  far  known  and  developed,  being  situ- 
ated  m  remote  inland  localities,  and  the  cost  of  transporta, 
tion  thence  being  ahnost  equal  tbthe  cost  of  the  6il  at  the 
wells.    As  the  cost  oii  transportation  must  always  form  a 
heavy  burden  on  so  bulky  an  article  in  comparison  to  its 
value,  It  is  obvious  that  oil  in  a  region  geographicaUy  so  well 
situated  as  Gasp6,  where  sea-going  vessels  may  receive  their 
cargoes  at  the  very  mouths  of  wells,  a  thousand  miles  nearer 
to  European  ports  than  any  other  oil  district,  must  com- 
mand a  monopoly  in  foreign  markets. 

Oil  from  Gasp6  can  be  delivered  in  the  port  of  Liverpool 
at  SIX  dollars  per  barrel  less  than  from  any  other  oU  district  • 
which  may  be  seen  by  the  following  comparative  statements  : 

gaspA  , 

'     Cost  of  transportation  and  o^her  charges  on  a  barrel   " 
of  oil  to  Liverpool : 

Cost  of  empty  barrel *1  fin 

Xlartage, ^haadHflg,  &o.  .tvtt^.  .'  1 .' .' .' ' .'  ':^r~rr  .  1  W 

Freight  to  Liverpool : i  go 

♦8  80 


V 


j-t^V. 


<«(!» 


I-  fe 


^    ■  .'■■,■■ 

.   •»        ■ ■■■/■ 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Coat  of  transportation,  and  other  charges  on  ^barrel 
of  oil  to'  Liverpool 

Cost  of  empty  barrel /  . .  $3  00 

-  Freight  to  Pittsburg /. , ..  2  00 

Expenses  at  Pittsburg , , / 20     . 

Freight  to  Philadelphia •' .  .\  .  • ,. 1  36 

Expenses  at  Philadelphia 20 

Freight  to  New  York 50 

Expenses  at  New  York , 20 

Revenue  tax ^ i  OO 

Shipping  expenses  at  New  York 30 

Freight  to  Liverpool 1  16 

$10  51 

Apart  from  this  great  saving  in  the  item  of  transporta- 
tion, which  of  itself  is  a  large  profit,  Gasp^  has  many  ad- 
vantages which  merit  consideration.  Labor,  available  on  the 
spot,  is  cheap,  timber  for  all  purposes  abundant ;  coal,  which 
in  the  oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania  costs  from  seventy-five  cents 
to  one  dollar  per  bushel,  may  be  obtained  at  Gadp6  at  ten 
cents  per  bushel ;  and  barrels  can  be  paade  on  the  spot  at 
one  dollar  and  sixty  cents  instead  of  the  three  dollars  and 
twenty-five  cents  paid  elsewhere. 

Scientific  and  practical  men  agree  that  the  Gasp6  oil 
region  promises  fully  to  equal  the  Pennsylvania  region  in 
productiveness,  the  geological  formation  being  the  same 
or  rather  more  favorable  ;  there  is,  therefore,  no  reason  why 
large  fiowis^  wells  may  not  be  obtained.  But  let  it  be  as- 
sumed that  small  wells  only  are  obtained  at  Gaspd,  say  wells 
of  twenty  barrels  each,  these  being  almost  a  certainty  in  oil 
regions.  Taking  the  usual  number  of  working  days,  and 
"^ra^oii  at  the  low  price  oTfbxif  dollars  in  gold  p®f  battel,  a" 
single  well  would  give  a  net  income  of  twenty  thousand  dol- 


-.it-^ 


lars  in  gold  ver  annum.     Many  such  wells  would  not  be 
necessary  to  secure  a  large  revenue  to  a  company  formed  to 
work  them.    This  calculation  cannot  be  regarded  as  based 
upon  an  over-estim^te  of  either  p^duction  or  price,  and  in 
that  respect  it  differs  widely  from  the  vague  statements  which 
appear  in  connection  with  many  projects  now  before  the 
public ;  for  the  comparison  already  presented  exhibits  the 
fact  that  the  cost  of  one  barrel  of  oil  delivered  in  Liverpool, 
from  the  wells  of  Pennsylvania,  nearly  equals  the  price  of 
three  barrels  from  the  Gaspji  district. 

The  Gaspii  oil  is  of  a  dkrk  greenish  color,  with  very  little 
odor,  and  its  gravity  is  greater  than  that  of  Pennsylvania 
The  following  reports  enter  fully  into  the  subject  and  con- 
tain convincing  proofs  of  the  existence  of  oil  in  largo  quanti- 
ties, and  the  facilities  for  working  and  exporting  which  the 
Gasp6  oil  region  possesses  in  a  degree  that  must  render  it 
superior  to  competition.  ■        .      \ 


I 


..'    / 


M'^-.i^'      JtJ.J   i  A 


4    « 


c. 


/ 


i. 


EXTRACTS  PROM  REPORTS 


ON  TEE 


C3-EOLOC3--Sr    OF    OAIVTAJDA. 


Sir  Wm.  E.  Logan,  government  geolagist  for  the  prov^ 
ince  of  Canada,  in  his  Report  of  a  Geological  Survey  of 
Canada,  published  by  government  in  1863,  describes  the 
limestone  and  sandstone  rocks  of  thl^region,  w>ich  are  the 
true  petroleum-bearing  formation.  >  * 

In  Sir  Wm.  E.  Logan's  Report,  above  mentioned,  on  pa-e 
402,  he  says:         ^  '        ^^^ 

"There  is  still  to  be  descnbed  the  greenstone  dyke,  con- 
neoted  with  the  southern  anticlinalT  at  Tar  Point  This 
dyke  IS  of  a  dark-grey  color,  weathering  to  a  rusiy-red,  and 
It  IS  traversed  by  numerous  horizontal  and  vertical  joii^ts 
and  abounds  in  lame  ^nd  small  druses,  presenting  botryoi-' 
dal  surfaces  BOflie«fs,  and,  at  others,  incrusted  with  crys- 
tal of  quartz  anl^c^alcite.  These  cavities  are  fiUed  with 
petroleum  ;  this,  in  some  instances,  has  hardened  to  the  con- 
sistency of  pitch.  The  peculiar  odor  of  this  substance,  which 
has  given  the  name  of  Tar  Point  to  the  locality,  may  be 
perceived  at  k  distance  of  fifty  yards.  J'*       J'  "« 

"  Two  petroleum  springs  occur  along  the  line  of  this  anti- 
clinal. -  One  of  these  is  on  the  sou^h  side  ot  the  St.  John 
Biver,  about  half  a  mi/e  above  Douglastown.  Here  the  oil 
oozes^fram  tiiB  Bted  and  shingte  of  the  beacfi,^^^^ 
globu  es,  rising  tlirough  the  water  at  high  tide.  Portions  of 
the  oil,  are  sa;d  to  have  been  observed,  under  similar  condi. 


mm 


8 


f 


.  tions,  as  far  as  the  extremity  of  the  firpt  marshy  island,  a" 
distance  of  three  fourths  of  a  mile  above  ;  and  they  may 
probably  extend  much' farther  in  the  same  direction. '    - 

"  The  second  spring  was  observed  about  two  hundred  yards 
up  a  small  branch  of  the  Silver  BVook^  which  is  a  tributary  . 
of  the  Southwest  Arm,  felling  into  it  about  six  or  seven* 
miles  from  Qasp6  Basin.     The  orifice  of  the  spring  was  not* 
seen  ;  but  the  oil,  which  is  not  observed  higher  up  on  the 
brook,  here  collects  on  the'  surface  of  quiet  pools,  as  a  thick 
film.  \      .'i  „         I 

"  The  rock  adjoining  the  dyke,  and  underlying  both  of 
these  springs,  is  sandstone  ;  but  it  is  ne*'  improbable  that 
here,  as  in  Western  Canada^  the  source  of  the  oil  may  be  in 
the  more  fopsiliferons  rocks  beneath  ;  so  that  we  may  hope 
to  find  other  springs  of  it,  not  only  along  the  line  of  twenty 
miles,  just  indicated,  but  still  farther  along  this  and  other 
undulatioQS  in  the  sa'me  region  ;  where  borings  and  wells 
may  furnish  more  abundant  supplies  of  petroleum." 

Again,  on  page  521,  he  says  : 

"  In  describing  these  rocks  on  page  402,  the  springs  of 
petroleum  on  the  St.  John's  Eiver  and  on  Silver  Brook  have 
already  been  described,  as  well  as  the  occurrence  of  the  oil 
in  the  cavities  of  an  amygdaloidal  greenstone^dyke  at  Tar 
Point.  Other  localities  of  petroleum  have  since  been  noticed 
ifl  that  vicinity,  at'  the  entrance  to  GaBp6  B^sin,  and  also 
near  the  northeast  comer  of  the  Douglastown  lagooh.  About 
a  mile  and  a  half  td  the  southeast  of  Gasp6  Basin,  and  on 
-  the  line  of  the  northern  anticlinal,  is  found  a  layer  of  min- 
eral pitch  or  drie^T)itumen,  about  an  inch  in  thickness,  lying 
beneath  the  surface  of  vegetable  mould,  while  the  soil  for 
some  distance  to  the.  eastward  is  saturated  with  petroleum." 

Again  he  says,  on  pfige  788  : 

^<The  pcesenoe  of  petroleum  in  the  rocks  of  Gasp6  has  ^ 

b#en  mentioned  on  pages  402  and  521.    Subsequent  explora-  , 


/ 


\^ar3. 


I  ; 


■^iiTs'. 


jasi'.tM 


'W 


'»•• 


seven' 


/ 


tions  have  shown  Bevcral  additiorial  localitieg  in  the  vicinity 
of  Gasp6  Bay.     The  rocknear  the  month  of  York  ftiver  is 
like  the  hraestone,  impregnated  with  petroleum  ;  and  on  the  ' 
same  river,  aBout  twelve,  miles  from  the  entrance  of  Cjaspd ' 
iiasin,  small  portions  ^f  solid  bitumen  were  fotind  in  the ' 
cavities  of  a  trap  '^yke  cutting  the  sandstone.    A  similar 
dyke  at  Tar  Point  has  already,  been  described. 

"A^the  oil  spring  at  Silver  Brook,  a /tributarj:  of  the 
Jfork  Eiver,  the.p^eum  oozes  from  a  m.ass  of  sandstone 
-an^^renaceous  shale,  which  dips  southeastwardly  at  an  angle 
ot  thirteen  degrees,  and  is  nearly  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the 
crown  of  the  anticlinal.  The  oU,  which  here  collects  in  pool's  ' 
along  the  brook,  has  a  greenish  color,  and  an-  aromatic  od^ 
which  IS  less  disagreeable  than  that  of  the  petroleum^ 
Western  Canada. 

"Farther  westward,  at  about  twelve  miles  from  themfeutb 
of  the  river,  oil  was  observed  on  the  surface  of  the  water  at 
the  outcrop  ofjhe  li&estone.  Petroleum  is  met  with  al 
Adams  oil  spring,  in  the  rear  of  I.ot  B,  of  York,  neai'Iy  two 
miles  east  of  south  from  the  Entrance  of  Gasp6  Basin  It  is 
here  found  in  small  quantities,  floating  upon  the  surface  of 
the  water  ;  and  near  by  is  a  layer  of  thickened  petroleum 

^mixed  With  mould,  ^t  a  depth  of  afoot  beneath  the  surface 
of  the  8j>il.  A  mile  to  the  eastward,  at  Sandy  Beach;  oil  is 
said  t(/occiir ;  and  again  at  Haldimandtdwn,  where  it  rises- 
through  the  mud  on  the  shore.  These  three  localities  are 
upon  the  sandstone,  and  on  the  line  of  the  northern  anticli- 
nal  which  passes  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  Silver  Brook  Oil 
bpnng.  Farther  to  the  southeast,  on  the  line  ofUthe  south- 
ern  anticlinal,  and  ab;)ut  two  miles  west  of  Tar  Point;  which 
takes  Its  name  from  the  petroleum  found  there,  another  oil ' 
Bpnng  ,8  said  to  be  found,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  south  of 

.Seal  Cove.    On  the  south  side  of  the  Douglastown  Lagoon 
and  about  a  mile  ^^est  of  the  village,  oiLrises  in  small  quan- 

|t^  tvom  thB  niM  on  the  beack.  .  ^^thp  to  ^he  le^ 

ward,  oil  iH  Raid  t(y  occur  on  the  second  fork  of  the  Vox 
Traces  of  it  have  also  ht^nn  observed 


.     ,-< 


. 


r 


* 


10 


I 


brook  near  St.  George's  Cove,  on  the  northeast  side  of  Ga8p6 
Bay." 

On  page  883,  ho  says  : 

"  On  the  south  side  of  York  River,  about  five  miles  above, 
the  northwest  comer  of  York  township,  a  mass  belonging  to 
the  Gasp6  limestones  comes  to  the  surface,  presenting  a  sharp 
anticlinal  form.  The  rock  is  strongly  bitumino\i8,  giving  in- 
dications of  petroleum.  In  the  York  River,  just  above  Keg 
Brook,  the  limestone  at  the  summit  of  the  formation  is 
divided  into  thick  beds,  of  which  some  ar?^  dark  gray,  weath- 
ering reddish-brown,  and  containing  petroleum." 

Further  extracts  might  be  made  from  the  Report  of  Sir 
Wm.  E.  Logan,  showing  more  interesting  discoveries  of  sur- 
face indications,  but  it  is  believed  unnecessary  to  multiply 
them  ;  all  of  the  localities  given  are  in  the  immediate  vicin- 
ity of  Gasp6  Basin,  and  all  conversant  with  the  boring  of 
Oil  Wells  and  the  discoveries  of  Petroleum,  will  acknowl- 
edge that  these  surface  indications  have  never  been  sur- 
passed, and  warrant  the  belief  that  wells  sunk  to  a  proper 
depth  must  be  highly  remunerative. 


■■■!^:  >  \  > 


REPORT  OP  • 

CHARLES  ROBB,  ESQ.,  MINING  ENGINEER, 


ON  THE 


C3--A.si»E  roob:  oix.  itEca-ioisri 


5^1 


53^T.  Francis  Xavier  Street, 
.  .  MoNTRBAL,  April  19,  1865. 

Gentlemen  :  In  compliance  with  the  request  with  which 
you  have  honored  me,  I  herewith  suhmit  such  information  as 
I  have  obtained  from  actual  personal  observation,  and  from 
other  reliable  sources,  respecting  the  rock  oil  region  of 
Qa8p6,  in  Ganada  East.  .  .  ^^. 

I  have^^  during  the  present  season,  visited  the  reghon  re-     » 
ferred  to,"  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  and  securing  lands  for 
oil-boring  purposes. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  lands  secured  by  m» 
are  the  most  valuable  in  the  district  for  the  purpose  referred 
to,  having  been  selected  either  from  actual  discoveries  and 
indications  of  oil  found  on  them,  or  from  certain  geological 
and  topographical  features  which  experience  has  proved  to  bo  , 
useful  as  a  guide  to  the  best  selection. 

The  oil-bearing  rock  of  Gasp6  is  a  limestone  belonging„to 
the  Lower  Helderberg  group  of  the  New  York  state  geolo- 
gists, and  lying  at  the  base  of  the  Devonian  system^  or  about 
the  same  geological  horizon  as  the  oil  region  oT  Enniskillen, 
in  Canada  West.  It  is  much  disturbed  and  fissured,  and 
covered  vdth  a  sandstone  formation,  which  gervea  to  confine 
the  oil  within  the  fissiircs  until  tapped  by  artificial  means. 
Occasionally  it  is  found  exuding  through  small  crevices  in  the 
overlying  sapdstone,  forming  natural  oil-springs,  of  which  a        , 


*»  '■': 


''**"■  *;i.*iS,  i^ii.».'i«jiii«a&v!* 


12 


considerable  number,  as  well  as  several  saline  and  sulphur- 
ous springs,  are  known  to  exist  in  the  district. 

The  limestonp  above  described  is  very  copiously  charged 
with  organic  remains,  and  the  petroleum  owes  its  origin,  in 
all  probability,  to  the  slow  subterranean  decomposition  and 
bitumenization  of  organic  matter,  both  animal  and  vegetable, 
which  has  been  deposited  with  the  other  materials  of  which 
thg  rocks  are  composed.  The  resulting  fluid  and  gaseous 
matters,  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water  which  permeates 
the  strata,  will  naturally  accumulate  along  the  summit  5f 
the  anticlinal  axes  or  convex  folds  of  the  strata,  penetrating 
the  fissures  and  cracks,  which  will  there  also  be  most  numerous 
and  important.  The  investigations  of  the  geologists  have  re- 
vealed the  existence  of  four  such  folds  or  anticlinal  lines  in 
the  oil-bearing  rocks  of  Gasp6. 

The  importance  and  value  of  these  lines  of  anticlinal  axis 
consist,  as  already  explained,  in  the  fact  (first  pointed  out 
by  Dr.  T.  S.  Hunt,  of  the  Canadian  Geological  Survey)  that 
it  is  along  these  lines  that  the  greatest  accumulation  of  oil 
may  always  be  expected.  Being  thopoughly  satisfied  of  the 
truth  of  this  principle,  I  have  selected  the  land  accordingly, 
for  the  most  part,  and  it  is  highly  satisfactory  to  find  that 
all  the  discoveries  of  oil  throughout  the  region,  whether  fully 
authenticated  or  only  reported,  occur  on  or  very  near  to  the 
lines  refen*ed  to.  The  rocks  are,  for  the  most  part,  very 
lightly  covered  with  earth  and  clay,  so  that  the  lines  of  anti- 
clinal axis  will  be  easily  discovered  on  the  ground,  and  thus 
a  sure  guide  to  the  most  favorable  places  for  boring  will 
IKadily  be  found. 

The  country  is,  for  the  most  part,  rugged  and  mountain- 
ous, the  mountain  chains — reaching  to  the  height  of  about 
fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea — alternating 
with  great  valleys,  holding  considerable  rivers  and  arms  of  the 
sea.    Numerous  transverse  valleys  also  occur,  affording  cx- 

|.,   j^; JenHivfl  flatH  at  many  polo ta.    The  lines  of  anticlinal  aiis— 

where  the  oil-bearing  limestone  is  not  only  brought  nearest 
I    I  :  to  the  surface,  but  is  in  the  most  favorable  condition  other- 


;'iu^:ilk-ii. -..,.■;. 


13 


wise  for  oil-boring— cut  the  mountain  ranges  and  the  valleys 
obliquely,  and  will  afford,  at  many  points  not  difficult  of  die- 
coveiy,  favorable  spots  where  the  sandstone  covering  will  be 
of  moderate  thickness. 

Independently  of  all  theory,  the  fact  of  the  existence  of 
the  petroleum  over  a  large  tract  of  country  in  this  district  is 
abundantly  proved,  not  obly  by  the  appearance  of  the  lime- 
stone rock  itself  which  is  everywhere  found  to  be  highly  im- 
pregnated with  oil,  but  by  the  number  of  places   widely 
apart  from  each  other,  at  which  the  oil  forces  itself  to  the 
surface.     The  most  important  of  these  have  been  described 
by  Sir  Wm.  Logan  in  his  published  report,  extracts  from 
which  will  accompany  the  present.     The  localSons  of  these 
and  of  several  others  which  have  been  either  observed  by  or 
reported  to  me,  during  my  recent  visit,  are  all  included 
among  the  lands  which  have  been  selected  and  secured 
Previous  to  my  visit  to  this  oil-bearing  region,  having  been 
much  occupied  in  investigating^  those  of  other  parts  of  the 
country,  I  had  oftrefully^  studied  its  nature' and  conditions 
and  had  thus  been  led  to  form  a  very  favorable  opinion  of  it. 
I  am  aware,  also,  from  frequent  conversations  with  various 
officers  of  the  Geological  Commission  that  it  has  always  been 
regarded  by  them  as  a  highly  promising  field  of  operations  in 
oil-bormg.       My  recent  visit   has    amply   confirmed    and 
strengthened  the  favorable  impressions  I  had  thus  far  been 
led  to  form,  and  I  entertain  a  strong  conviction  that  it  is 
destined  to  prove  a  great  oil-producing  country,  and  will 
yield  a  rich  reward  to  those  capitalists  who  will  undertake 
its  development  upon  an  adequate  scale. 

The  lands  referred  to  in  this  report  are  all  situated  in 
the  surveyed  and  settled  part  of  this  district,  and  are  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  magnificent  harbor  of  Gaspd  Bay 
and  traversed  for  the  most  part  by  good  roads. 
The  facilities  for  shipment  are  thus  unequalled,  and  as 


~Ga»p6  i«;h  ii^pm^ofmiy  IheTequTslFe  machinery  can  bo 
imported,  and  provisions  and  goods  of  all  sorts  procured  at 
a  ch^ap  rate.    The  c^trjr  is  thickly  settled  with  an  in- 


■' 


M 

mi 


r^\ 


14 


dustrious  and  intelligent  class  of  population  who  will  be 
willing  to  work  at  a  moderate  rate  of  remuneration.  Agri- 
cultural produce  of  all  kinds  is  raised  in  the  district,  and 
wood  for  fuel,  and  for  the  requisite  machinery,  &c.,  is 
abundant. 

The  climate  is  remarkably  healthy  and  favorable  for  work-^ 
ing  at  all  seasons,  being  neither  so  hot  in  summer  nor  so 
cold  in  winter  as  in  most  other  parts  of  the  province.  In 
case  it  were  thought  desirable  to  use  coals  instead  of  wood 
for  fuel  to  the  drilling  engines,  a  supply  could  always  be 
obtained  cheaply  and  expeditiously  from  Nova  Scotia  or 
Cape  Breton  which  are  at  no  great  distance  from  Gasp6  Bay. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Gentlemen, 
Your  most  obedient  servant, 

Charles  Robb, 
Mining  Engineer. 


i 


i!^t, 


'...yii^i. 


l(«i     mj.ii»i.iij! ' 


^* 


■%?';,• 


REPORT  OP 

PROFESSOE    EO^EET    BELL, 

{Laie  of  the    Geological   Survey  of    Oancda,) 


ON  THB 


'O-A.SI'E      Oir,      ItEGH03Sr_ 

Kingston,  Uth  April,  1865. 

Gentlemen  :  I  bog  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
'  letter  giving  the  location  of  certain  oil  lands  in  Gaspd.  I 
liave  colored  in  the  blocks,  which  you  indicated,  upon  a  town- 
ship map  of  Ga8p6,  and  find  that  they  agree  with  the  parts 
of  the  territory  which  I  describtd  some  time  ago  as  the  most 
promising  localities.  They  are  situated  (geologically)  upon 
the  three  main  anticlinals  of  the  Gaspd  oil  regions,  and  em- 
brace the  best  portion  of  the  largest  tract  upon  which  petro- 
leum has  been  found. 

The  lots  ranging  from  Cape  Haldimand  to'the  entrance  of 
Gasp6  Basin  (Sandy  Beach  range),  as  well  as  those  of  the 
Uartmouth  River  range,  are  located  upon  the  Haldimand  or 
the  most  northern  anticlinal.  Petroleum  comes  to  the  surface 
on  several  of  these  lots.  First  (beginning  towards  the  east) 
on  the  Haldimand  town  plot,  at  the  northeast  angle  of  the 
JJouglastown  Lagoon,  where  it  oozes  through  the  mud  and 
shmglo  on  the  beach  (see  General  Report  of  Geological  Sur- 
voy  of  Canada,  1863,  page  789).  Next  it'occurs  on  some  of 
the  lots  south  of  the  junction  of  Sandy  Beach  with  the  main 
shore. 

The  next  locality  to  the  westward,  is  Adams'  oil  spring  ^ 


^esontfiem  part  ofLotB,  York.  This  spring  is^siSmS 
the  valley  of  a  brook,  running  into  Gaspfi  Basin,  which  iL 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  westward.    The  petroleum 


i 


'11 


P 


1 


t^*ii  'iHitAA' 


K^^'^l.iikJ! 


It    1^,         i^J^^l 


4  J    t     f^  il 


^,ii:- 


16 


was  observed  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  in  the  soil 
for  some  distance,  both  up  and  down  the  valley  of  the  brook. 
At  the  time  of  my  visit  to  this  spot,  in  the  spring  of  1862, 
the  ground  was  very  wet  and  partly  frozen,  but  the  roots  of 
a  large  upturned  tree  were  observed  to  be  covered  with  lumps 
of  pitch  which  had  resulted  from  the  drying  up  of  the  petro- 
leum in  past  years.  The  bed  from  which  this  ;pitch  was  de- 
rived is. covered  with  a  foot  or  more  of  loam  and  vegetable 
mould,  specimens  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  museum  of  the 
Geological  Survey.  This  locality  is  considered  a  particularly 
promising  one,  both  from  the  abundant  natural  evidences  of 
petroleum  which  it  affords,  and  its  close  proximity  to  the 
splendid  harhor  of  Gasp6  Basin.  In  the  event  of  oil  being 
struck  by  boring  here,  there  is  every  probability — in  fact 
almost  a  certainty — of  its  being  obtained,  anywhere  along 
the  brook  on  the  anticlinal,  either  below  or  above  the  oil 
springs. 

The  Gasp6  sandstone  fomtetion  belongs  to  the  Devonian 
system,  and  immediately  overlying  the  great  oil-bearing  lime- 
stone formation  of  Ga8p6,  is  the  uppermost  or  surface  rock 
at  all  the  above-mentioned  localities. 

The  Dartmouth  range  of  lots  is  situated  on  the  westward 
continuation  of  the  same  anticlinal.  The  Gasp6  limestones 
in  this  part  of  the  anticlinal  comes  to  the  surface  in  several 
places  on  the  Dartmouth  range,  and  between  the  northwest 
and  southwest  arms  of  Gasp6  Bay.  Some  of  the  limestones 
of*"  these  exposures  contains  nodules  of  chert  and  abundance 
of  fossils,  in  both  of  these  respects  resembling  the  oil-bearing 
("  corniferous")  limestone  of  Western  Canada. 

When  engaged  in  making  a  topographical  survey  of  the 
Dartmouth,  I  observed  oil  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
water  at  a  "jam"  in  one  of  the  by-cjiannels  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  and  called  attention  of  the  rest  of  the  party  to 
the  fact,  as  we  could  not  then  be  certain  that  it  was  actually 

but  the  subsequent  discovery  of  petroleum  in  the  vicinity 
removes  the  doubt  as  to  its  true  nature.    AH  the  other  lands 


/ 


Pp^x 


.k»ttt';i',  .  ,^;.  *, 


,  i.-.*-y^if*rt.. 


\  t: 


which  yqu  mention,  with  the  exqeption  of  the  second  fork  on 
the  St.  John  river,  are  situated  on  the,  second  anticlinal, 
which,  from  the  fact  of  its  terminating  on  the  coast  at  Tar 
Point,  has  been  called  the  T^ar  Point  anticlinal.  I  shall  refer 
to  these  lands  in  their  order,  beginning  at  the  last  as  be- 
fore. 

Tar  Point  was  so  named,  when  the  country  was  first  set- 
tled, from  the  fact  that  native  tar  and  petroleum  occur  in  the 
rocks  there  ;  and  their  odor,  filling  the  air  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, cannot  fail  to  be  perceived  even  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance. (For  particulars  of  this  locality,  see.  General  Report 
of  the  Geological  Survey,  1863,  pages  402  and  403.)  The 
anticlinal  runs  inland  in  a  west-northwesterly  direction, 
nearly  parallel  to  the  Haldimand  anticlii^l.  The  long 
known  oil  springs  to  the  south  side  of  Douglastown  Lagoon, 
and  at  Silver  Brook,  as  well  as  others  more  Tecently  discov- 
ered, lie  on  its  course.  The  lots  which  you  mention  at  Seal 
Cove,  are  situated  upon  this  anticlinal,  and  the  petroleum  of 
the  brooks  must  come  from  its  central  portion  or  axis. 
V  From  the  geological  arrangements  of  the  strata,  it  is  to  be 
inferred,  that  should  a  reseiToir  of  petroleum  be  tapped  at 
this  place,  the  oil  will  flow  readily  from  the  wells,  owing  to 
the  hydrostatical  pressure. 

The  lots  in  the  raifges  behind  Douglastown,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  first  and  second  ranges  of  York,  are  very  favor- 
ably situated  on  the  run  of  the  anticlinal.  The  petroleum 
springs  along  the  beach  of  the  south  side  of  Douglastown 
Lagoon,  lie  in  the  strike  of  the  strata  between^  these  two 
blocks  of  land  ;  and,  from  what  is  stated  at  page  403  of  the 
General  Report  of  the  Survey,  it  appears"  that  petroleum 
has  be^  observed  oozing  from  the  mud  and  shingle  of  the 
beach  as  faiP  up  as  the  extren^ty  of  the  first  marshy  island 
f  at  the  moutU  of  the  St.  John  ^ver.  It  is  also  stated  in  the 
\  same  place^  that  these  indications  of  petroleum  "  may  prob- 
ably extend  inuch  farther  in  the  same  direction." 

In  regard  7t(Jthe~1ot8  in  the  second  rai^  of  Gasp6  Bay~ 

south,  it  is  to  bo  inferred  from  their  close  conq|ctioil  with 


IJ 


•  ttiM-^    ''^4<^'%^iM'^S^^h| 


\ 


18 


the  Silver  Brook  oil  spring,  situated  on  the  same  anticlinal, 
and  in  the  strike  o£  4.he  strata  upon  these  lots,  that  the  cir- 
cumstances are  such  as  to  favor  the  opinion  that  oil  will 
be  found  by  boring  in  the  most  encouraging  places  in  this 
area. 

The  locality,  on  the  second  fork  of  the  St.  John  river,  at 
which  petroleum  was  found  by  settlers  froiQ  another  part  of 
the  township,  is  situated  upon  a  different  anticlinal  from  the 
others.  It  is  called  the  Point  Peter  Anticlinal,  and.  is  the 
third  in  order  from  the  north.  It  runs  quite  parallel  to  the 
Tar  Point  Anticlinal.*  The  prevalence  of  free  petroleum  in 
the  limestones  of  this  part  of  the  oil  district,  and  other  con- 
siderations, appear  to  warrant  the  sinking  of  wells  on  this 
block.  The  place  is  easily  reached,  either  by  the  road  from 
the  southwest  arm  of  Gasp6  Bay,  or  by  fallowing  the  valley 
of  the  St.  John  river. 

\  GENERAL   RE&TARES. 

1  The  Gaspd  limestones  '^from  which  the  petroleum  appears 
\io  be  mainly  derived)  is  2,000^ieet  and  upwards  in  thickness. 
!lft\is  generally  of  a;  dark  gray  color,  in  both  thick  and  thin 
beds,  sometimes  traversed  by  strings  of  calc-spar,  and  often 
holds  nodules  of  chert.  The  latter  afe  frequently  abundant 
in  the  limestones  of  other  petroleum  regions.  This  limestone 
formation  has  a  wide  geographical  range  in  the  peninsula  of 
Gasp6,  but  the  portion  which  is  most  remarkable  for  afford- 
ing petroleum,  occurs  in  the  region  lying  to  the  southward 
and  westward  of  Gasp6  Bay.  The  limestone  in  this  tract, 
when  broken,  has  almost  always  an  unmistakable  odor  of 
rock  oil.  When  a  newly  fractured  fragment  is  thrown  into 
water  the  oil  rises  from  it  to  the  surface,  forming  a  thin 
greasy  scum.  When  a  crack,  druse,  or  cavity  of  any  kind  occurs 
in  the  bed  of  the  rock,  it  is  generally  found  to  contain  more 
or  less  pet^roleum.  The  sandstone  which  overlies  the  lime- 
atOn%feottghottt»  great  -part  of  ita  distributio^Ja  Also 
sometimes  found  to  be  saturated  with  free  petroleum.    The 


19 


petroleum  from  the  natural  springs  in  Ga8p6  is  of  excel- 
lent quality,  IS  of  a  greenish  brown  color,  and  has  but  little 
odor. 

The  springs  at  Silver  Brook  and  Douglastown  were  de- 
.  scnbed  by  Sir  W.  Logkn  twenty  years  ago  (see  Keport  for 
1044) ;  but  the  time  of  their  first  discovery  is  unknown    The 
county  of  Gaspe,  beingfar  removed,  and  in  a  manner  isolated, 
18  but  httle  known  to  the  majority  of  Canadians.     This  cir- 
cumstance, and  the  want  of  capital  coupled  with  enterprise, 
appears  to  have  been  the  chief  re^ons  which  have  hitherto 
retarded  the  development  of.  these  oil  lands.     There  is,  prob- 
ably,  no  oil  region  in  North  America  so   well  situated  for 
shipping  petroleum  to  market    as    that  of  Gasp6.     The 
harbor  of  Ga8p6  and  Gasp6  Basin  are  all  that  could  be  de- 
sired m  the  way  of  secure  accommodation  for  vessels  of  all 
classes. 

From  the  knowledge  of  the  GaSp6  Peninsula  and  its  ge- 
ology,  acquired  during  three  seasons  spent  there  in  making 
geological  surveys  and  explorations,  under  the  direction  of 
our  provincial  geologist,  Sir  Wm.  E.  Logan,  I  am  confident 
that,  when  properly  tested,  those  portions  of  the  country 
which  I  have  already  indicated  will  prove  highly  productive 
of  petroleum;  and  this  opinion  is  also  entertained  by  gen- 
tlemen from  the  Pennsylvanian  oil  region,  whom  I  met  with 
in  Ga8p6  m  1862.     These  lands  could  not  have  been  more 
judiciously  selected,  and  there  is  a  great  advantage  in  having 
Hhem  scattered  ovef  a  wide  area,  since  future  experience 
may  prove  some  portions  of  the  oil  district  to  be  much  more 
productive  than  others. 

In  the  foregoing  remarks  I  have  not  entered  into  the  sub- 
jW5t  of  roads,  nvers,  wharves,  the  supply  of  labor,  the  price 
of  provisions,  &c.,  in  Gaflp6  ;  Imt,  should  you  require  it,  I 
shall  probably  be  able  to  furnish  you  with  any  ioformation 
you  may  wish  for  in  regard  to  these  matters. 
Your  obedient  servant. 


Robert  Bell,  C.'E.,  F.  G.  8., 
Prof,  of  Chemistry  and  Natural  History 
J^  Queen's  Unin^aity. 


■% 


•1 


^.e* 

A 


,-i.('i 


*.^..,rtJo 


\s 


% 


I 


^^ 


